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UFS Thought-Leader series sparks national dialogue on employability and sustainability in higher education

18 June 2025 | Story Onthatile Tikoe | Photo Kaleidoscope Studios

Prof Hester C. Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS, will facilitate the UFS Thought-Leader Series discussion titled Reimagining Higher Education for Employability and Sustainability.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud to announce the next instalment of its prestigious Thought-Leader Series, titled Reimagining Higher Education for Employability and Sustainability. This highly anticipated event – held in collaboration with the Free State Arts Festival - will take place on Thursday, 17 July 2025, from 12:00 to 14:00 at the Albert Wessels Auditorium, UFS Bloemfontein Campus. Attendance is free and open to the public.

Now in its seventh year, the UFS Thought-Leader Series has established itself as a dynamic platform for robust public dialogue on pressing local and global issues. The series brings together influential voices from academia, industry, and civil society, reflecting the university’s continued commitment to thought leadership, public engagement, and transformative impact.

Rethinking the purpose of Higher Education

This year’s theme comes at a critical time. South Africa faces escalating youth unemployment, rapid technological change, and the complexities of a shifting global economy. Against this backdrop, questions around the purpose of higher education and its alignment with employability and sustainability have become increasingly urgent.

The panel will explore how universities can better integrate their teaching, research, and community engagement to address the real-world needs of graduates and society at large.

Prof Hester C. Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS, will serve as the facilitator. With her extensive leadership experience and academic expertise, she is well-positioned to guide what promises to be an insightful and forward-thinking conversation.

Meet the panellists

The session will feature an esteemed panel of thought leaders from the higher education landscape:

Dr Max Price

Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, Dr Max Price brings deep insights into leadership during transformative moments in South African higher education. A medical doctor and Rhodes Scholar, he holds postgraduate qualifications in public health. His recent memoir, Statues and Storms: Leading through change, reflects on steering a university through turbulent times and fostering dialogue on contested transformation issues.

Dr Phethiwe Matutu

As CEO of Universities South Africa (USAf), Dr Phethiwe Matutu leads national initiatives shaping the future of higher education. A mathematician by training, she has held strategic leadership roles at the National Research Foundation and the Department of Science and Technology. Her work is rooted in advancing equity, innovation, and access within the post-school education system.

Prof Paul E Green

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning at Sol Plaatje University, Prof Paul E Green is a specialist in systems thinking and higher education quality. Holding a PhD from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, he has served in senior academic positions across several institutions. His research centres on integrating education, innovation, and community impact to meet contemporary challenges.

Prof Pamela Dube

Prof Pamela Dube is the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Central University of Technology (CUT) - the first woman to be appointed to this role in the Free State. A distinguished academic and visionary leader with extensive global experience, she has served in senior positions across several universities and national institutions. Her work spans a wide range of fields, including student development, postcolonial studies, gender equity, and the evolving interface between technology and humanity. Known for her commitment to inclusive transformative education, Prof Dube has received numerous awards and international recognition for her contributions to higher education and leadership.

Event Details

Venue: Albert Wessels Auditorium, UFS Bloemfontein Campus

Date: Thursday, 17 July 2025

Time: 12:00–14:00 (90 minutes)

Click here to RSVP before 15 July 2025

News Archive

Nat Nakasa the inspiration behind UFS academic’s PhD thesis

2017-01-09

Photo: Supplied

“I’m interested in alternative ways of approaching things, so I wanted to look at how journalism can be used in an unconventional way to contribute to a developing society.”

This is why Dr Willemien Marais, a lecturer in the Department of Communication Science at the University of the Free State (UFS), decided to title her thesis: Nat Nakasa as existential journalist, describing a form of journalism that places emphasis on the individual’s experiences.

“Existentialism is a philosophy that provides scope for an individual approach to life, and I like Nat Nakasa’s writing because of his excellent sense of humour despite his horrific circumstances as a black journalist during apartheid,” she says.

A practical approach to writing

Dr Marais analysed Nat Nakasa’s approach to journalism through articles he wrote in the early 1960s. She searched for relevant themes of existentialist philosophy in Nakasa’s work in order to prove that he could be read as an existential journalist.

She mentions that in terms of contemporary relevance, Nakasa’s approach to journalism suggests that existentialism could provide the journalist with a practical approach to writing, especially for those journalists working in developing societies.

“The relevance of this approach lies in the fact that any society is always between things – the old and the new – which might require the journalist to operate outside the boundaries of conventional journalism.”

This study was qualitative in nature because of the interpretation required. She mentions that it was basically one of many possible interpretations of Nakasa’s work; with this one using existentialism as a lens.

An intellectually stimulating thesis

Dr Marais quotes French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre, who said that interpreting someone’s work, especially someone who was no longer alive, was open to “thousands of shimmering, iridescent, relevant meanings”, and her research represents one of these possible meanings of Nakasa’s work as a journalist.

When asked how long she had worked on her thesis, Dr Marais simply answered “too long!” She mentions that her thesis was initially more of an intellectual exercise. Whereas the actual act of writing took about four months, she spent many years thinking about the topic. “Now that all is said and done, I realise I had to grow into the topic. It took me a while to realise that true understanding does not come overnight!”

Dr Marais mentions that other than herself and the work of Nat Nakasa, there were no other roleplayers involved. “For many, many years it was just Nat Nakasa and I. It was frustrating and exhilarating all at the same time.”

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